Category: Thematic Network


The cooperation will be organized along the following Thematic Networks,
to tackle three Cross-Cutting Challenges.

IURC AA Regions Present Clean Energy & Blue Economy Initiatives

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme held its second thematic session on 23 September, gathering 51 participants from 10 regions across Europe, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The focus was on regional cooperation in clean energy and the blue economy, with regions presenting concrete strategies for hydrogen ecosystems, offshore wind, geothermal, waste-heat recovery, solar innovation,...

IURC Cities Showcase Best Practices on Tourism, Mega-Events and City Branding

The second and final session of the IURC Asia & Australasia Thematic Network on Strategic Sectors brought together 33 participants to explore innovative approaches in cultural heritage, mega-events, sustainable tourism, and city branding. Cities from Italy, Australia, Malaysia, and Poland shared their strategies, challenges, and opportunities, while also setting the stage for deeper collaboration at the upcoming Smart Cites Expo World Congress in...

IURC Launches Regional Thematic Cluster Meetings in Latin America & Caribbean

On 17 September 2025, 49 leaders and technical experts from Europe, Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) convened for the first session of the IURC LAC Region-to-Region Cooperation Program, focusing on agrifood innovation and industrial modernization. In the current phase, IURC pilot regions from the EU and Latin American countries will cooperate in 4 areas: agrifood innovation, industrial modernization, energy, and sustainable blue economy,...

IURC launches Urban Innovation Thematic Cluster with Cities from EU and Asia & Australasia

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme (IURC) has successfully launched its Urban Innovation Introductory Session as part of the Thematic Network Webinar Series. The online session, held on 18 September 2025, brought together more than 60 participants from Europe and Asia & Australasia for an in-depth exchange on smart cities, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and citizen-centric governance. Viktorija Kaidalova — EU’s Service for Foreign Policy...

Global Cities Share Innovative Paths to Sustainable Tourism

From the metaverse to organic farming, four regions reveal how they’re balancing growth, culture, and climate resilience A New Era for Tourism: Insights from the IURC Strategic Sectors WebinarOn September 17, the first Strategic Sectors Cluster webinar of the IURC Asia and Australasia programme gathered 43 participants from cities and regions online. The session spotlighted how Prato (Italy), Gangtok (India),...

Regional Collaboration in Action: Insights from the IURC AA Thematic Network Launch

On 16 September 2025, 54 leaders and technical experts from 14 regions across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe convened for the first session of the IURC AA Region-to-Region Cooperation Program, focusing on agrifood innovation and industrial modernization. In the current phase, IURC pilot regions from the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and Latin American countries will cooperate in...

New Zealand Launches Phase 2 of the EU’s International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme

The EU Delegation to New Zealand hosted the official launch of Phase 2 of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme, welcoming the participation of Christchurch, Taranaki, and Manawatū in this new phase of collaboration. EU Ambassador H E Lawrence Meredith The event began on 10 September with a welcome dinner at Dockside Restaurant on Wellington’s waterfront, where EU Ambassador to New Zealand H.E. Lawrence...

Mobility and Transport Deep Dive: Cities Share Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development

On Monday, 15 September 2025, the IURC AA Thematic Network Webinar Series hosted its second deep dive session on Mobility and Transport, gathering 43 participants from cities around the world. The session highlighted groundbreaking urban development strategies, digital city management, and collaborative efforts to create smarter, more sustainable transportation systems. Key Presentations and InsightsNew Taipei City: Optimizing Public Transportation and Community Engagement Chen Chuan...

IURC Kickstarts Online Thematic Cluster Series with Cities in the EU, Asia and Australasia – Mobility

The first two online thematic cluster sessions on mobility and transport were held this week, featuring presentations from 6 cities. The sessions counted over 100 participants from IURC pilot cities in the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. The initial phase of the IURC thematic clustering approach (September-October 2025) helps pilot cities and regions...

Launching a New Era of Cooperation: IURC Latin America & the Caribbean 2025–2027

We were excited to take part in the official launch event of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) EU–Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) 2025–2027 program. This initiative brings together cities and regions from Europe partnering with countries and regions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and selected Caribbean cities to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term partnerships.Event Highlights:Welcome Address: Lutz Köppen,...